Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-01-14
PI.Nk-IEiS RETENGE.

~ n Il - " Is4N'FIs.
what a perfect shame that she got here
today !'
'Sh-sh-! she might hear you
Nonsense She is down in the recep-
ton room. don't suppose if she j, from
the backwoods she has ears that can hear
through doors
Girls. | am ashamed Of You How can
you be so uufeelng toward your own cous-
in g
81 don't care, mamma, She is sure to be
awkward and dowdy How can we have
her at the dinner table tonight, | shall
die of modification to have to introduce
her to Mr.. Morris as our cousin
Perhaps she will be too tired to come
down 10 dinner after such long ride II
is a little awkward TO add another 10 set
dinner party
"Oh Mamma bless YOU for the thought
You can tell her that she Is too tired. You
can arrange it, know
"Well, I'll try.
These were the sentences that fell on the
ears Of Priscilla Bent as she sat alone, wait
ing to see the aunt and cousins whom she
had come all the way from Kansas to New
York to visit, of whose welcome she felt
sure Us if she had known them all her life.
II was by bluudcr OF the servant that
she had been shown directly up stairs into
the drawing room, which communicated 10y
folding doors with the room where We're
sitting mother and daughters
"Pnkir! What name q" continued the
first speaker "Who ever heard of such
nuine. except for dog,
Her name is Priscilla replied the
mother. ' but Pinkie was given To- her hy
her father when she was IL little girl ON
account of her pink cheeks
well. ! will call her Priscilla
And too"
Your father will Not like it." said Mrs.
Bent. But We must 20 down
\ swift rush Of three women down the
staircase. three loud EXPLANATIONS Of dis
may at the sight ut the empty reception
room. looks OF disnay and a smothered
whisper of veXation.
How stupid Of Ben Do you suppose
she heard -
These were the next scenes in the swift
little drama which here began 50 inauspi-
ciously under Mr. Silas Bents roof this
morning And next to these followed one
which seemed also a justification Of all that
the Misses Bent had said in regard to their
cousin. Slowly rising To her feet. grasping
her umbrella firmly in her left hand, rose n
tail, AN exceedingly tall young " oman, who
exclaimed in "A nasal voice " Well, was
Jest a-conIing Ia look We up. didn't know
as that fine black gentleman of yours had
condescended to let you know that | was
here. I'm most tired TO death, tell You
four DAYS and four nights in the cars is
enough II kill AN OK. But I'll lee all right
soon's | get my coffee | reckon break
fast's all cleared away 10y this time, but
don't want much, only a cup of coffee if
the cook haint thrown it out. I'm real
glad to see YOU pose uncle got my let
ter, didn't he = And parising in her
breathless speech, pretty Priscilla Bent
looked sheepishly into the faces Of her
equally shamefaced relatives. If they had
not been too guilty disturbed IN their own
minds OF fears of having been overheard
in their inhospitable comments, they might
have detected strange look on their Kan
sas cousins face, a mixture of twinkle and
terror. But they saw nothing except what 50
thoroughly corruborated their worst fears
Even Mrs. Bent herself. who had resolved
beforehand To bc thoroughly kind to the
child of her husbands favorite brother,
was thrown of her balance, and in spite
of herself the welcome she gave was curt
and cool.
But nothing appeared 10 daunt the terri
/ BILE Pinkie Radiant good humur shone in
her face her tongue run like a ckpper,
and when the dinner party was mentioned,
| Pinkie cried
Not much l amt too tired I'll Just
| bunk down and 10y six o'clock I'll be as
! fresh as "A rooster We don't often get "a
| chance to a regular dinner party out in
| Emporia, and | don't mean to miss one
/ this winter. Say--shal | wear my very
! best: I've read about the kind of clothes
/ YOU New Workers wear 10 dinners. But
! I've got some \ No gowns, l tell you,
/ Now You Just show me my room, and I'll
| 20 straight to bed an stay there till dinner
time You let your black man bring me
up tumhler of milk, will you, along about
one o'clock, and a doughnut or bareback.
I'm used to eating heartily in the middle o
/ the day.
When the door was finally shut upon
| Pinkie her aunt and cousins exchanged
looks.
"HorribleH cried the youngest daugh-
| ter, Carrie Its worse than | ever con
ceived. How could papa send for her =
He has not seen her since she was ten
years old. said Mrs Bent, diSmally. "Of
| course he could not dream she would be
| like this He has always said her mother
/ was a charming woman, and they lived in
/ Europe for several years when she was lit
| tie 1t is horrible, girls ~
Bunk down - calculated the eldest
daughter Sophia.
Fresh as rooster =" echoed Carrie.
Mamma, / shall go To bed myself and he
too i'll to appear tonight. ! don't believe
| Mr.. Norris will ever cross our threshold
again 90,
Then he is welcome to stay away, said
Mrs. Bent hotly,
While this distressed consultation was go
] 1t h.4r h
tiers, Pinkie, safe locked in her room, was
holding one with herself. Tears spalkled
in her eyes, but her face was full of mirth
Il will :" she muttered Il will do il (.
1t will be good enough for them. l know l
can. 1t will teach them good lesson. But
| I'll have Ia work like a Trojan to get the
dress ready Let me see what ! have got
that will do. Ha | have it That old
tableau dress will be just the thing. How
lucky brought it, - she chuckled, as she
shook out the folds of white muslin of the
most antiquated country fashion. Now |
can 90 to sleep and rest easy for AN hour ;
awkward and dowdy.' That is what |
win be- and in five minutes mischievous
Pinkie Bent was sound asleep.
Anxiety and vexation had made Carrie
i'll, and it was with a most unbecoming flush
on her face that she appeared in the draw
hour. There sat the cousin from Kansas
Was ever such a figure seen in New York
drawing-room before
plain white muslin, made in the shep-
herdess style, very full and very short,
scarlet stockings, broad scarlet sash, and
worst of all, ON the head turban of white
muslin, with a scarlet poppy Haunting IN
front. This was what the malicious Pinkie
had done with herself, whose trunks were
full of exquisite French gowns such as her
cousins had never owned and not often seen.
She knew at least that the opals ON hel
soft white neck would command "A certain
kind of respect, even from her inhospita
BILE relatives.
THANK heaven she wore them. That
viii show people she at least has money
That necklace couldn't have cost less thar
81 900"
yes" replied Pinkie, nonchalantly
Ma likes EN- best of all she's got. They're
mas | like flowers better, I'm great on
artificial flowers always wear 'em every
day
The guests were already arriving Mr.
Bent himself among them, he having ac
- tla ragIt,,, Of axv Work hrai